22/05/2026
LASUED Hosts 2026 Wellness Lecture, Strengthens Partnership with Illinois University, USA
In a remarkable move to maintain healthy living within the University Community, the ever-proactive Management team of the Lagos State University of Education (LASUED) on Thursday 21st May 2026, hosted its 2026 Wellness Lecture at Senator Oluremi Tinubu Hall, Oto/Ijanikin Main Campus.
The lecture, titled “Workplace Wellness: Promoting Health and Preventing Disease,” was delivered by Dr. Morounkeji Akin-Olugbemi, MD, MPH, an Assistant Professor (Clinical) at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria.
The event highlighted the university’s efforts to institutionalize workplace health and advanced discussions on a proposed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), USA
The Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University of Education, Prof. Bidemi Bilkis Lafiaji-Okuneye, in her opening remarks, described the lecture as a strategic discussion on life, productivity, and sustainable development.
“The workplace is not only a site of labour; it is also a site of living. It is where people think, plan, teach, research, mentor, serve, administer, innovate, collaborate, worry, celebrate, and sometimes silently struggle,” she said.
Prof. Lafiaji-Okuneye emphasized that wellness is crucial to institutional performance. “When health is weak, productivity declines; when wellness is neglected, institutions suffer; when prevention is ignored, disease becomes more expensive than death,” she stated.
She detailed LASUED’s initiatives under its A.C.H.I.E.V.E. agenda, including monthly staff aerobic exercises, a strengthened Health Centre, and early detection campaigns. She also noted the university’s perfect score in the recent NUC accreditation, with all 66 programs receiving full accreditation.
On mental health, she remarked, “A worker may be present physically and yet absent emotionally.” She called for increased counseling, mentoring, and humane leadership within the institution.
“The body often whispers before it screams. Wisdom lies in listening early,” she said, encouraging regular blood pressure and blood sugar checks, healthier diets, and sufficient sleep. She added that “Wellness is not an elderly person’s concern; it is a life-course responsibility.”
During the lecture, Dr. Akin-Olugbemi identified hypertension, prediabetes, and obesity as pressing public health issues in Nigeria. She cited research indicating that about 30 percent of Nigerians live with high blood pressure, often with low awareness and treatment rates.
She pointed out that prediabetes affects between 12.5 million and 15.8 million adults in Nigeria. “Prediabetes can be reversed, but only if we act early,” she emphasized.
Dr. Akin-Olugbemi recommended the CDC Worksite Health ScoreCard as a helpful framework for designing institutional wellness initiatives. She also referenced WHO guidelines encouraging 150 to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity weekly, along with muscle-strengthening exercises at least two days a week.
She urged attendees to take personal responsibility for their health. “Monitor your blood pressure regularly. Eat a healthy diet. Stay physically active,” she advised.
The Vice-Chancellor described the UIC partnership as part of a shared global goal. “From Lagos to Chicago, from Africa to America, the human desire is the same: to live well, work well, age well, and contribute meaningfully to society,” she said.
UIC, Chicago’s only public Research 1 institution with around 35,000 students, offers opportunities for joint research, faculty and student exchanges, and access to facilities, including the Jump Trading Simulation and Education Center.
In her closing remarks, Prof. Lafiaji-Okuneye urged all stakeholders: “Let wellness not end as a lecture in this hall. Let it become a lifestyle in our homes, a culture in our offices, a policy in our institutions, and a commitment in our national life.”
The session was attended by university management, academic staff, students, and guests, with participants encouraged to apply the lecture’s recommendations in their daily lives across the campus community.
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